Reduce Revisions Initiative Launched to Promote Best Practices for Total Joint Replacement Surgery

This week marked the launch of the Reduce Revisions Initiative, a program focused on supporting orthopedic professionals with the goal of measurably improving outcomes of total joint arthroplasty (TJA).
 
TJA can dramatically improve lives by restoring mobility, reducing pain, and promoting a return to normal activities. Most of these procedures include total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip Aarthroplasty (THA). During one year in the United States alone, orthopedic surgeons perform more than 1 million TKA and THA procedures. According to the 2018 published estimates on total joint replacement from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, this number is expected to nearly double by 2030. Though very successful, joint replacement occasionally fails requiring revision. In the United States, over 100,000 patients undergo revision knee and hip replacement each year, and that number that is also expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.
 
“One mode of failure of joint replacement is infection. Because of the sheer number of joint replacements we do and better diagnostic modalities, the number of infected joint replacements are also likely to rise in the coming years. Infection of a prosthetic joint is a major problem for both the patient and the healthcare” said Dr. Javad Parvizi, professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, Pa., and chair of the Reduce Revisions editorial board. “It’s time for us to face this issue head on, and I’m excited about the potential for the Reduce Revisions Initiative to be part of the solution by promoting best practices and sharing innovative developments in total joint replacement.”
 
In order to make a meaningful contribution to total joint arthroplasty patient care, Reduce Revisions will create communication channels focused on sharing information with total joint surgeons, nurses, administrators, and other key healthcare professionals in the patient care continuum. The Initiative’s Editorial Board has identified several key areas for education:
 

• Infection prevention and management
• Fixation optimization
• Patient involvement in preventing revision surgery
• New frontiers in TJA
• Improving economics

 
Reduce Revisions also will work to accelerate research around total joint arthroplasty quality improvement and complications management. A five-member editorial board, comprised of distinguished orthopedic researchers and surgeons, is now developing forums and events that foster collaboration and sharing of surgeons’ experiences, as well as exploring ways to make ongoing learning opportunities easily accessible. Ultimately, Reduce Revisions will measure its success by the outcomes of primary total joint replacement surgery and the shift in need for revision surgery.
 
Reduce Revisions is focused on supporting orthopedic professionals through education and collaboration, with the goal of improving outcomes of total joint arthroplasty, thus reducing the need for revision surgery. The initiative is sponsored by Heraeus Medical, the inventor and exclusive manufacturer of PALACOS bone cement products.